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A review by bamboobones_rory
Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
4.0
I first heard of this book through the episode “James Baldwin's Fire/James Baldwin's Shadow” on the podcast Throughline (a podcast that connects history and current events). In that interview with Eddie S. Glaude Jr., his voice is full of passion, love, awe, and respect for James Baldwin- and he speaks of James Baldwin as a close friend, that he holds in his heart. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. did a tremendous job of summarizing James Baldwin's life and works and the context of Black civil rights activism at different times in Baldwin's life, and the American Lie, in the podcast. I enjoyed his oral telling of Baldwin's opinions and life more than reading it. I definitely would love to hear him speak in real life.
The book itself isn't exactly a biography, and isn't exactly an opinion piece. It's a mishmash of both, and while I recommend listening to Eddie S. Glaude Jr.'s interview on Throughline, I think readers who are looking for more about the writings and thoughts of Baldwin are better off reading Baldwin's original work. Maybe the target audience is people who read summaries and biographies. I prefer reading Baldwin's own writings, and hopefully this book helps his writing gain popularity.
The book itself isn't exactly a biography, and isn't exactly an opinion piece. It's a mishmash of both, and while I recommend listening to Eddie S. Glaude Jr.'s interview on Throughline, I think readers who are looking for more about the writings and thoughts of Baldwin are better off reading Baldwin's original work. Maybe the target audience is people who read summaries and biographies. I prefer reading Baldwin's own writings, and hopefully this book helps his writing gain popularity.